| Matchup |
#3/4 Bentley (9-1, 5-1 NE10) at
Merrimack (5-4, 3-3 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017 (5:30 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Hammel Court // North Andover, Mass. (Tickets) |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's basketball program will wrap up its first run-through of the Northeast Division on Tuesday evening when the Warriors host No. 8 Bentley University at 5:30 p.m. from Hammel Court. The contest marks the Navy and Gold's final non-league tilt of the calendar year
TOYS FOR TOTS:
- Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to Hammel Court on Tuesday as part of Merrimack's participation in the Toys for Tots initiative. Cash donations will also be accepted, and all proceeds will be donated to Boston Children's Hospital
- Any fan who donates toys or cash will receive a free ticket to Tuesday's game
- Toys/cash can be donated to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.), who will be located in the lobby next to Hammel Court
Last Time Out:
- Merrimack suffered a 65-60 defeat on Saturday afternoon at Saint Michael's, with the Purple Knights ending the game on an 8-2 run to claim victory
- The duo of junior Lindsay Werner (Groton, Mass.) and freshman Alyssa Casey (Andover, Mass.) once again led Merrimack's offense, combining for 39 points. Werner went to a the free-throw line a career-high 10 times, making nine attempts, while Casey led the Warriors with eight field goals on 20 attempts
- Junior point guard Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) set a career high with 10 assists, nearly totaled a double-double by finishing with eight points and added a team-high four steals
- Sophomore Emily Houle (Attleboro, Mass.) paced Merrimack with a career-high nine rebounds, but Saint Michael's as a team outrebounded the Warriors, 48-34, and 14-6 on the offensive glass. The Purple Knights had 14 second-chance points compared to just four for Merrimack
Team Leaders:
- Casey and Werner have scored 166 points and 164 points, respectively, through nine games. They are the top-scoring duo in the Northeast-10 Conference, combining to average 36.4 points per game. They are both in the top-five in scoring in the NE10
- Casey's 7.7 rebounds per game leads the Warriors, as do her 17 offensive boards and three double-doubles. She paces Merrimack in field goals (69) and field-goal attempts (153), ranking second in both field-goal percentage (45.1) and three-point field goals (14). Her rebounding average of 7.7 per contest and 69 total boards both lead the Warriors, while she is among the team leaders in steals (14) and blocks (4).
- Werner's 30 three-pointers leads the conference, and the junior is one of just 12 players nationwide with at least 30 so far this year. She is currently on pace to break Merrimack's single-season record for triples of 62, set by Christina Siragusa in the 2002-03 season
- With 56 total assists and 27 total steals, Alves owns the NE10 and team lead in both categories, nearly doubling the next closest Warrior in both. Alves is 11th nationally with 6.2 assists per game
The Falcons:
- Bentley rebounded from its first loss of the season last week to Southern New Hampshire with a 25-point win over Saint Anselm on Saturday
- After graduating the NE10 Player of the Year in Jen Gemma, the Falcons have relied upon a more balanced offense this season, with six players averaging 7.3 points per game or better
- Junior Victoria Lux has replaced Gemma's production by averaging a double-double of 14.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Lux ranks third in the NE10 in rebounding
- Graduate transfer Becca Musgrove is second on the team in scoring with 11.2 points per game, playing in her lone season with the Falcons after a three-year career at Brown University
- The Falcons boast the seventh largest average margin of victory in the nation, outscoring their opponent by 24.1 points per game
The Series:
- As Bentley does with a majority of their all-time opponents, the Falcons hold a commanding lead in the series against Merrimack, owning an .831 winning percentage
- The Falcons and Warriors met three times last season, with both regular-season meetings decided by single digits. The programs also played in the NE10 Quarterfinals
- The last six non-playoff matchups have been decided by eight points or less, with the Falcons winning five of the six.
- Merrimack's last win over Bentley at Hammel Court came during the 2007-08 campaign
Up Next
Merrimack is off for the remainder of the week due to finals, and will resume play next Tuesday when the Warriors host the University of Bridgeport at 5:30 p.m. from Hammel Court.
